One of the best things about cooking in the summertime (aside from the amazing evening sunlight) is bringing your garden inside to make your table look better and dishes more tasty! Not only does it make your home and heart more alive – it also saves your wallet! Here are a couple tips from my Dining for Friends lunch this past weekend.

• Holy Hydrangea! Cut them for centerpieces and use their leaves to display food. Hydrangea leaves also make an amazing backdrop for food display – like deviled eggs or cheese plates! You can also use fig leaves!
• Add baby vegetables to your cheese plate! I used baby squash, radishes and cucumbers to my pimento cheese tray for a color kick – and fresh bite. I also used tender baby vegetables in a pasta salad with lettuce and lemon vinaigrette!
• Plant an herb garden and share your wealth with neighbors. Between the houses on my block, we have about every herb you’d need including about six varieties of mint. Everyone is open to sharing – what’s what neighbors are for, right?

What are your favorite ways to bring the garden indoors?